DRC Article

UNTLifer · October 7, 2005

Football: UNT hoping to rebound from loss

Mean Green hold first full practice since Troy game

08:45 AM CDT on Friday, October 7, 2005

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

The first full-scale practice of the post-streak era went just how North Texas coach Darrell Dickey hoped it might Thursday afternoon.

Dickey didn’t see his players mope or slack off. What he detected was a determination to get better following a 13-10 loss to Troy on Tuesday.

The setback on national television ended the Mean Green’s 26-game Sun Belt Conference winning streak and put UNT’s run of four consecutive conference titles in jeopardy. UNT had not lost a Sun Belt game since falling to Louisiana-Monroe all the way back in the fifth week of the 2001 season.

“I feel very good about the attitude of this team and the improvement we are making,” Dickey said. “I really like what I am seeing.”

UNT will have a little extra time to try and bounce back from its loss to Troy before taking on Florida International. The Mean Green are off this weekend and will have a 10-day break before taking on the Golden Panthers in Miami.

The game will mark the beginning of a three-week road trip that will also include a pair of tough non-conference dates with Louisiana Tech (Oct. 22) and LSU (Oct. 29). The Mean Green were scheduled to take on the Tigers on Sept. 3 before the game was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Thursday’s practice offered UNT’s players a chance to get over their loss to the Trojans and prepare for the road trip.

“It was good to get back out there,” UNT wide receiver Johnny Quinn said. “It’s all about a new week and a new game now. We had a good attitude today in practice.”

UNT is hoping that attitude will help the team quickly improve an offense that has struggled through the Mean Green’s first four games of the season. UNT is averaging just 8.2 points and 198.2 yards of offense an outing.

A game against FIU could offer the Mean Green a chance to get back on track. The Golden Panthers (1-3) rank last in the Sun Belt defensively with an average of 40.8 points allowed a game.

Dickey was not surprised by his players’ attitude in their first day preparing for a game against FIU, even though it came after a tough loss to the Trojans.

“I have watched these kids this year and our kids in the past,” Dickey said. “Our players do not get caught up in all the stuff that surrounds the program. They just focus on their job.”

Bazaldua named Draddy semifinalist

Kicker Nick Bazaldua has been named a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, an honor given to one senior each season for excellence in academics and community leadership in addition to success on the field.

Schools are allowed to nominate one player for the award. Semifinalists are required to have a GPA of at least 3.0.

A committee of former college coaches and administrators will select 15 finalists on Oct. 27. The winner will be announced at a dinner on Dec. 6 in New York City.

Bazaldua was a preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection and is also an All-America candidate and a Lou Groza Award watch list honoree.

Bazaldua was named first-team all-conference last season when he made 14 of 18 field goals and all but one of his 38 extra point attempts while scoring a career high 79 points.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

“I have watched these kids this year and our kids in the past,” Dickey said. “Our players do not get caught up in all the stuff that surrounds the program. They just focus on their job.”

Typical DD BS quote. He's back in the situation he loves, "us against the world."

Edited October 7, 2005 by UNTLifer

GoMeanGreen1999 · October 7, 2005

Well if Vito if ever have the guts to ask him any more serious questions than I am sure the ones he does ask, then we might get some other comments. I love George and Hank, but they need to ask some tougher questions too.

VideoEagle · October 7, 2005

DRC.com
Typical DD BS quote. He's back in the situation he loves, "us against the world."
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Well, how could he NOT be in an "us against the world" situation. If you read these message boards, many, if not most, of the vocal fans want him fired. A number want him fired in the middle of the season!

Glad to read the team is moving on and getting ready for the next game instead of dwelling on something that cannot be changed. A tough loss is suppose to leave a bad taste in your mouth, not make you want to give up.

Something football teaches players is you can't worry about what just happened. There's another play to run in 25 seconds and another game against another opponent next week. Learn not to repeat a mistake, but move on!

UNTLifer · October 7, 2005

I understand DD's "us against the world" mentality, but it is like he can't appreciate the good so he puts his team in this situation. I wouldn't be on the lookout for this if he appreciated the fans during the good times the last three years.

medpilot21 · October 7, 2005

Well, how could he NOT be in an "us against the world" situation. If you read these message boards, many, if not most, of the vocal fans want him fired. A number want him fired in the middle of the season!
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Not sure if we have been reading the same GMG board? MOST of the fans and alums are very much behind Darrell Dickey. There are always a few who throw out the sword for DD to fall on after the start of each season, but this year has been different. For one, most of the threads (not all, of course) support his work here, but want to see some improvement. Who doesnt? I also look at it like this; a Tuesday night game after two blow-out losses would have brought in a crowd of about 9,000 in the past. Almost 18,000 in Fouts for that game shows the support this University and Fans has for DD. Dont misread a few negative comments and suggest MOST vocal fans want him fired? That is simply not the case. Many of us understood a down year is possible with a Newbie-QB and a brand new defensive front four? That does not mean we are okay with losing, but we understand no one wins their title every year. We just have to have faith in Darrell Dickey...he has earned that. (a comment from FFR that I happen to agree with)

Be patient with DD and this team. This is a coach that has deliverred on his promises. We havent given up on him yet. Building a team takes time...for any school, but DD will get this team together. We just hope it will be this year.

GMG!!!

UNTLifer · October 7, 2005

I think DD is a good man and has done some nice things at North Texas, but that doesn't mean I'll sit around and accept what I perceive to be wrong with the program just because he's won our conference the last 4 years. What I see right now is uninspired play, poor gameplans, a lack of in-game adjustments and poor discipline. These all point to coaching.